Simply Skellington, The Tale of Logan Dawn
by The Queen of Asgard
Summary: Growing up with a dad who's shorter, awkward red hair and too pale of skin, Logan Watts was never considered "homecoming queen" material. Actually, she's always been considered the odd one out. When she's pushed into a lake on Halloween night and finds herself in the middle of an unsung war, her new family asks her to do the unthinkable: Become Simply Skellington.
1. Chapter 1

_Halloween has never really been my 'thing.'_

_Actually, it's scared the living daylights out of me ever since I was a kid. Reasons being that my stupid brother died on Halloween night, leaving me and my father once again alone in this world. It was bad enough that my mother had run away with her hairdresser (whom we all believed to be gay, mind you) but then my brother had to go and drown himself in the lake for which our town was famous for._

_Maybe I should start at the beginning. Hi, my name is Logan Watts and I'm 16 years old and I live with my dad and my giant cat "Fuzzy" in the small, boring town of Hawk's Landing, Montana. I wasn't popular nor was I a loser but someone who liked to be by themselves. It had always been a talent for me, truthfully to blend into the shadows._

_Anyway, my story is one that might shock some people but I assure you, that this is the truth. It's a tale of deception, lies and even a little hope. So, this is how it all went down…_

_**Simply Skellington: The Tale of Logan Dawn**_

My fingers fumbled at a feeble string hanging down from the dusty lightbulb that was supposed to light up the entire attic. I knew from experience that this wasn't exactly true. Finally, my hand wrapped around the cord and I yanked it, weak yellow light spilling into the attic.

"Ugh…I don't understand why Dad keeps all this old junk around!" I mused as I pawed through books and old photographs until my hands found an old cookbook that used to be my mother's. Grinning in triumph, I held it up and flipped it over to look at the back only to allow a shriek that might have awoken the dead to pass from my lips.

"OHMYGERD!" I screamed as I slammed the book against a table, the spider skittering away madly. I rubbed my hands on my jeans and winced as I kept saying, "ew, ew, ew," over and over again.

"Logan?" I heard my dad call my name and I glanced over at the entry only to see my dad's bald head and spectacles look up at me with wearing confusion, "Are you alright up here?"

I shoved a thick red colored braid behind my ear and gave him an awkward brace-face smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. I think I just found the world record for the biggest spider though."

My dad rolled his eyes and then shoved his glasses up his nose. My dad and I don't look anything alike. He's a shorter guy with a potbelly while I'm tall and skinny with bright red hair that is so thick that you can barely get a pair of scissors through it. My dad had always called it my yarn hair as an affectionate sort of gesture but when you've gotten called 'Carrot-Top,' 'Ginger,' and 'Ragdoll' your entire life, you tend to dislike the phrase more and more as you get older.

"What are you doing tomorrow night?" He asked me as I put my hands on my hips and rolled my eyes.

"Well, let's see…not go out of the house, eat candy and watch cartoons. Sounds like a pretty productive night all in all!" I said smirking slightly as my dad sighed and rolled his eyes, rubbing his already balding spot on the back of his egg-like head.

"I wish you would go out and do Halloween with your friends once in your life," he said, sighing as I gave him a wry smile and then turned off the light, ignoring the book that had fallen to the floor.

"Yeah, I know you do. But Dad, I'm sixteen…I think I can make my own choices and if I want to stay in on Halloween night, I think that's my choice," I told him as he smiled softly and ruffled my hair.

"Alright, kiddo." He said softy before sighing and wiping away a tear, "I wish you could stay my little girl forever, you know that, right?"

"I know Dad," I said before I threw my arms around him and gave him a squeeze, sort of awkward when your father was 5' 6" and you were 5' 8". Finally, I let him go and wiped a tear of my own away before wiping away my own tear. I felt bad for him because I barely remembered when Cole died and it had affected me in ways I care not to remember. When Cole had died, my poor father had been crushed.

I looked down at my watch and my eyes widened at the time, "Dad, I gotta go to bed but I'll see you in the morning." I said before I leaned down and kissed him on the temple before shutting the attic door and walking down the hallway and turning on the light to my room.

My room is a collection that you probably won't see anywhere else on earth. I'm not a Twilight person or a One Direction sort of girl but my walls are covered with artwork that I've collected over the years. My dad says it's not healthy for a girl to stay in, blast some obscure indie band and paint until her hand practically falls off but I do it anyway.

I turned on Bon Iver and flopped down on my bed, watching the ceiling fan rotate around and around as I started to nod off.

However, before I could do that, I felt a cool wind touch my face and what I thought were fingers. I instantly sat up and looked around to see if something had maybe touched me. Whipping my head around my room, I realized that the only thing that had walked into the room was Fuzzy, my tortoiseshell cat who looked at me with his strange amber eyes.

"Well hello to you to," I said as he flicked his tail and jumped up to sit next to me, yawning and stretching before curling up at the foot of my bed. I ran my fingers along his silky fur and smiled softly to myself. Tomorrow was another day, even if it happened to be the worst day of the year.

* * *

"Hey Logan," A deep voice cut through my thoughts and I froze as if I had been dunked in ice water. I whipped my head around and saw that Phillip Rosque AKA Mr. Hottie who had been my unspoken crush for two years was smiling down at me looking ever so sexy with his perky black hair and dark hazel eyes, looking amber in the fluorescent lights that hummed above us.

"H-hey Phillip," I managed to spew out of my mouth, clutching my violin case to my chest even tighter. His playful smile now had a smoldering look about it as he leaned over me, practically pushing my best friend Rachel out of the way to arch an eyebrow.

"What are you doing tonight?" He asked softly as my brain kicked my mouth in the butt.

"Oh tonight? Nothing much. Just hanging out at home," I said nonchalantly, wondering if I was really going to be lucky enough to get to go out with Phillip.

"Well, there's a bunch of us hanging out at the lake tonight. You in?" He asked as his friends snickered over his shoulder. Not even missing a beat, I nodded and smiled widely. "Good. I'll see you tonight at 9." He said before walking away, laughing with his friends. Rachel leaned over and watched his butt wiggle away.

"Gosh, you are sooo stupid." Rachel said, rolling her eyes as we walked towards the band room. I hurried to catch up with her.

"Mind telling me why I'm so stupid?" I asked, barely registering what she might be talking about.

She turned to me and arched an eyebrow. Rachel and I have been best friends for years since we both played in the school band since our elementary school days.

"Guys like Phillip Rosque don't just start liking you," She reminded me, "And don't you remember what tonight is? Where he's asking you to go?"

"Pfft, you're just jealous," I said, the icy feeling of regret creeping up my spine slowly. How could I be so stupid as to go to the lake on Halloween night? How could I agree to that?!

My mind wrestled with what I should do only for a few moments before nodding, "Well, you know what? I'm going to go to this party. Cole died being stupid and it was 12 years ago…I'll be fine."

_Yeah. Famous last words._

As soon as I got home, I texted Rachel about the party (which she had dutifully said she would go with me to) and asked her what she would be dressed up as. Finally, she responded with she would be going as Alice from Alice in Wonderland.

I then turned to my closet and then narrowed my eyes. I had no costumes in which to speak of due to the fact I had never gone out on Halloween. Finally, my eyes landed on a dress from which I had done a play in when I was thirteen. I had grown somewhat but the dress still fit my figure…even if it was way too short.

I then pulled my hair back and applied some rather bold, dramatic makeup, something I would never do until I thought I looked daring enough to go after dark. The dress was red with draping shoulders that exposed my collarbone with black lacing and black ribbons around the corset. At one time, the poofy skirt had reached my calves but since I was now older, the hem of the dress barely graced my knees.

I grinned a lipstick grin at my reflection and then walked downstairs to attempt to eat something.

My dad, who had taken the day off from work, looked up and his eyes widened when he saw my costume. "Wow! Look at you! Where are you going to dressed up like the queen of the dead?"

I smiled sheepishly and blushed slightly, "I…have a party to go to."

My dad's grin turned into a full smile as he stood up and gave me a hug, "Oh sweetie, I knew you'd get out of your 'I-hate-Halloween' phase sooner or later!"

I quickly detached myself from his grip and gave him a look, "No, I still hate Halloween. I just never go to these sorts of parties and I'm never invited to anything like this and I really want to go. It has nothing to do with Halloween."

My dad was quiet for a moment before sighing and running a hand through his balding hair, "This isn't because of that one guy, Phillip, is it?"

I was quiet long enough for him to put the pieces of the puzzle together, "Oh Logan, you know that guy's bad news."

I felt my stomach twist into a knot and I narrowed my eyes pointing an accusing finger at my father, "You don't know him like I do."

"Oh, I know enough from holding you through the tear filled nights." My dad spat back, crossing his arms over his chest. I rolled my eyes and scowled.

"I'm sixteen! You can't tell me what to do!" I snapped angrily, feeling tears prickle in my eyes. I dared not wipe them away because of my makeup though. "And I'm going to this party whether you like it or not."

I then turned on my heel and stormed back up to my room, slamming the door behind me. I kicked the door for good measure and winced as I stubbed my toes.

"Son of a bitch!" I yelled, jumping up and down.

"Watch your mouth, young lady!" My dad said tiredly from down in the living room as I flopped down on my bed and closed my eyes slowly.

* * *

_"Jack, you have to get her somewhere safe!" _

_"I'm trying Sally…it's harder to get into the human world the last time I remember…" _

_"Please Jack…she's only a child, she has a right to live, even if it with the humans." _

_"Give her that lollipop now. It will disguise her true form until she comes home to us." _

_I felt something sweet enter my mouth as I gripped a bone thin finger that was bleach white. I began to cry as the finger was removed from my grip and I felt someone drop me to the ground. _

_"You will come back to us, my dear…" _

* * *

I bolted upright in bed and looked over at the clock. It was 8:30 and my heart was beating profusely. I stood up quickly and ran a hand through my hair that had come out of its updo. I stumbled over to the bathroom and moaning, I flicked on the light and saw…

Terror.

My hair was still in its updo but I looked far more frightening. It had macabre décor like spider webs and but I looked far more frightening. It had macabre décor like spider webs and droplets of blood hanging down from my hair. My skin was a ghastly shade of white with an underlying hint of blue. My eyes were a shocking blue color...or should I say my eye because I had only one. The other side was merely a gaping hole where my eye should have been. Stitches marred my skin and my dress was torn. In my hand I held a bow and a quiver of arrows that glistened like the moonlight were strapped to my back.

Suddenly, the fake me snapped her head up and I was looking into my own reflection. With a leer unlike any other, she placed her hand against the glass and...

The power flickered and died for a split second before popping back on. To my horror and surprise, the mangled version of myself was gone and in her place was me once again. Trying to calm my hammering heart, I gripped the counter and took three deep breaths.

"It was only a dream...it was only a dream..." I murmured as I looked back up into my hazel eyes and sighed. "Only a dream."

"Logan, your ride is here," My dad said and I couldn't help but hear the underlying bitterness in his voice. Good. He should be mad at me.

I stormed down the stairs and barely looked at him as I grabbed my jacket and walked out the front door.

"Bye sweetie, I love you." Was his feeble attempt to say farewell as I got into Rachel's car and slammed the door. She looked beyond my head to look at my dad and arched an eyebrow.

"Are you okay?" She asked slowly as I fumbled with my seatbelt.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I grumbled as we sped away from the curb.

* * *

The lake is polluted and everyone knows it.

If you go in the lake, there's a good chance you'll end up getting sick and maybe even end up dying. Then again, you might even end up drowning, like my idiot of a brother did. There's always a chance for that as well.

As soon as we pulled up to the lake, I knew that it was not the sort of party that someone like me got invited to. Cheerleaders in risque outfits surrounded by zombie football players laughed and took sips out of red Solo cups that definitely wasn't Hawaiian Fruit Punch.

Rachel looked over at me and then looked down at her prim and proper Alice costume, "We don't belong here," she said softly as I opened my car door slowly.

"Well, we're here. We might as well try and have a good time," I admitted before opening the door all the way and stepping out. The loudness of the music almost blew me over as I scanned the party for Phillip who was talking with a girl who's costume (I was thinking she was either a stripper or a prostitute) made her boobs come up to her ears. As soon as he spotted me, he waved and then walked over to me, smelling of booze and weed.

"Hey, can we take a walk?" He whispered in my ear as I looked out at the lake.

_'My brother died here...'_ My mind kept screaming at me as we walked towards the south side of the lake, hand in hand.

"So, why did you invite me here?" I asked slowly as soon as we were out earshot of the party.

My back was to the lake as Phillip took both my hands in his, leaned in...

And shoved me straight into the lake!

The ice cold water took me by surprise and I inhaled a mouthful of the nasty lake water. My head broke the surface as I looked back at him, surprised the lake was so deep. Phillip was cracking up, doubled over from laughing so hard.

"You really thought I was going to kiss you, didn't you?!" He howled, not even bothering to beat around the bush, "You really are the stupidest girl I've ever met, Logan Watts!"

I opened my mouth to do...what? To cry? To cuss him out? I didn't even know. Suddenly, I felt something brush up against my leg but before I had time to even call out for help, a slimy hand wrapped around my foot and pulled me under the water!

I fought and kicked, my hands clawing the darkness that was slowly consuming my vision as I saw a pair of glinting eyes in the darkness.

I clawed and kicked at the eyes but they merely smiled wickedly at me as I sunk so low, my whole world became pitch black.

* * *

**If you've been with me since the beginning, you'll know that this is a rehash of an older story of mine under the same title with a different character, Ara Jynx. Logan is a little different than Ara. First of all, that was one of my very first fanfics. My writing has come along way so...enjoy and leave some good stuff in the box below. Have a good day! **

**The Queen of Asgard**


	2. Chapter 2

**So...this chapter is a little wonky. Just because I wrote it flying blind without the aide of a word processor on my work's ancient computer. I was able to slam 3,500 words out in less than 3 hours. Not bad for one day! Anyway, I am following the original storyline of my first story to the "T" so...If you've read some of this before, forgive me. Just a different person. I hope you're enjoying it. Thanks to my two reviewers who left me lovely little tidbits to look at. I love reviews so if you feel like giving me some words of advice, go right on ahead. I take them with open arms. **

**Keep calm and read on!**

**Nightmare Before Christmas (c) Tim Burton**  
**Logan Watts (C) Me! **

* * *

Darkness consumed my vision as I tried to breathe but found no air. Each time my lungs screamed for oxygen, they received none. However, I never lost conciousness, even for a second. Instead, I slowly began to relax and the hand finally eased it's grip before returning to the depths from which it came.

Light glimmered in the depths of the water, catching my eyes as I looked around. I could hardly tell which way was up until I finally looked below me and saw the moon throwing beams of light into the murkiness, the beams penetrating the darkness. I flipped myself around, my dark red hair coming loose from its updo and floating around me like blood. I kicked my legs towards the moon, distorted due to the water and suddenly...

FWOOSH! My head broke the surface and I gulped in a lungful of fresh, sweet air, hacking all the while. Why wasn't I dead? I should have been dead. How long had I been under? Where was everyone? I looked towards where I thought the party was and only saw an empty shoreline, littered by the sad remains of a party long since gone. I looked towards where I had been walking with Phillip but saw no one. I shivered in the water and realized that I would probably be better off getting out of the water and trying to find my way back to shore. I paddled to the muddy shore and dragged myself out of the water, trying to stay away from the muddiest spots that looked like they might be able to pull a grown man into its depths. I shivered and Cole's death came oozing back into my mind.

_"LOCAL TEEN MISSING AT HAWK'S LAKE." _  
_"DOZENS SEARCH, FIND ONLY TRACES OF MISSING TEEN." _  
_"SEARCH CALLED OFF FOR COLTON WATTS."_

Pushing them back into the far corner or my brain, I came up onto the shore and was surprised to find that I wasn't freezing like I originally thought I would be. Sure, it was cold but I wasn't so cold I was shaking. I glanced down at my dress and gasped when I found it wasn't wet! Actually, I wasn't wet at all! Even though I had just come out of the lake and physics and NATURE ITSELF told me I should be dripping water like a leaky faucet, I was as dry as a leaf on a warm summer's day!

"Okay, that's just weird," I mumbled to myself before looking around the pathetic remains of the party. Beer cans and cups half buried in pine needles lay on the ground and streamers with their colors dead and gone lay in sad little piles all around me. Here and there were little stumps of half burned candles but it looked like Halloween had come and gone for my schoolmates. "Hello?"

There was, of course, no answer and I groaned internally. I wondered if I too, like my brother, was actually dead, drowned in the damn lake that was too polluted to swim in and if that this was my own personal Hell.

The road out to the main highway twisted and turned through the dark trees and deciding this was my best best, I began to wander down it, between the thick trunks of looming firs and cedars that glared down upon me with their dissaproving eyes. As I wandered down the dirt road, I noticed the moon seemed to be a lot brighter and bigger than it did back home and I wondered if I had, like Alice, ended up going down the rabbit hole and was now finding myself in some twisted Wonderland. I shivered at the thought and wished I had something to wear over my dress.

Just as this thought formed in my brain, my eyes caught sight of something fluttering in the cold breeze. Freezing, I slowly glanced at it and saw only an old brown hooded cape hanging off a branch. Glancing around to see if anyone was using it, I quickly plucked it off the branch and wrapped it around my body, finally beginning to feel warm. The strange thing was that the cloak had a spider shaped brooch to bring it the two sides together. I found that rather strange as I pulled up the hood and continued down the road, wishing for a pair of far more comfortable shoes.

As I walked, I began to notice that the trees were...changing. They were becoming smaller and were changing into trees that had no leaves, their skeletal arms reaching up and touching the skies. The moon cast strange shadows through their branches and made everything seem longer than it really was. I shivered again but continued to walk, feeling my legs beginning to feel rather tired. I had been walking for what felt like hours and I seemed to be getting no closer to the highway. I couldn't hear any cars or see any lights. The moon seemed to follow me wherever I went.

Suddenly, a glimmer of color caught my eye and that's when I saw them. There were 7 of them in a circle, a Christmas tree, a Jack'o'Lantern, an Easter Egg, a shamrock, a turkey, a firework and a baby. It took me a minute to realize what they were but after seeing the Christmas tree, it was apparent to me what they were.

"All the holidays," I said quietly, looking around realizing the baby was New Year's and the firework was The Fourth of July. "But what are they doing out here?"

Suddenly, at my back, I heard the slow creak of a door opening and the scent of spiced apples and wet leaves tickled my nose. I turned slowly to see what door had opened and to my surprise and horror, I saw the one with the Jack'o'Lantern on it open and leaves slowly being sucked into its depths. As the pull began to get stronger, I felt myself unwillingly take a step forward and I gasped in surprise as I felt myself falling into the doorway into the depths of something else once again.

* * *

I awoke to find my head spinning and no light around me once again. Why oh why did the universe insist on not allowing me to see anything?! I groaned and squinted, thinking I might see something. A haunting melody played on the wind as I stood up and began making my way towards the light. The melody began to get stronger as lyrics slowly began to crescendo along with the haunting melody.

_"Boys and girls of every age,_  
_Wouldn't you like to see something strange? _  
_Come with us and you will see, _  
_This our town of Halloween!"_

"Oh wonderful...I got stuck in the zombie version of The Sound of Music!" I moaned as I saw a scarecrow with a sign that read in creepy red handwriting, "Halloween Town."

As I walked into town, I saw pumpkins being dropped onto spikes of a wrought iron fist as the singing grew still.

_"This is Halloween, this is Halloween!_  
_Pumpkins scream in the dead of night!_  
_This is Halloween, everybody make a scream, _  
_Trick or Treat 'till the neighbors gonna die of fright!_  
_It's our town, everybody scream, in our town of Halloween..."_

Suddenly, I found myself standing in a house and I yelled in surprise as something opened the door under the stairs and popped out.

_"I am the one hiding under your stairs,_  
_Fingers like snakes and spiders in my hair!"_ It sang as I yelped again and booked it up the stairs before running into a room, the door slamming shut behind me. I pulled on the door but it didn't budge as I heard something under the bed in the corner singing with a whispery wheeze:

_"I am the one hiding under your bed!_  
_Teeth ground sharp and eyes glowing red!"_

"Shiiii..." I began to say as the door finally opened and I flung myself into the hallway as the singing continued. What sort of Godforsaken place was this to allow monsters to run rampant in the streets?! I ran downstairs only to hear the chorus of "This is Halloween, This is Halloween," echoing in my ears. As I was about to reach the front door, it burst open and three guys dressed as vampires burst in and began their own rendition of a stanza.

_"In this town, we call home, _  
_Everyone hail to the pumpkin song."_

I ran out through the kitchen and burst onto a side street as a funny little man in a top hat and a wide grin began singing too. Ye gods! Not only was this place terrifying but everyone sang too! He gave the crowd a wild eyed look and then also began to sing, his body twisting once around.

_"In this town, don't we love it now? _  
_Everyone's waiting for the next surprise!"_

I ran down an alley and nearly tripped over a cat as it scurried from one place to another, trying to find somewhere to hide. Just as soon as it thought it was safe on top of the trash can lids, they flew up, causing the poor animal to go flying into the air!

_"'Round that corner there,_  
_Hiding in the trash can, _  
_Something's waiting now to pounce and pound..."_

I ducked behind a garbage can and listened to the other creatures as they rumbled past.

_"Scream! This is Halloween!_  
_Red and black and slimy green!"_

Finally figuring it was safe to come out, I skulked away from the garbage can only to be almost run over by a pair of witches flying down the alley!

_"Aren't you scared? Well, that's just fine!_  
_Say it once, say it twice!_  
_Take a chance and roll the dice!_  
_Ride with the moon in the dead of night!" _

Running back into the streets, I was almost plowed over by a walking tree, skeletons in nooses hanging from its branches. I screamed and managed to get out of the way before I was run over.

_"Everybody scream! Everybody scream!_  
_In our town of Halloween!" _

Now a clown on a unicycle rolled into the square squeaking maliciously on his one wheeled mechanical oddity.

_"I am the clown with the tear away face,"_ Suddenly he pulled off his face and his voice became gravelly. _"Here with a flash and gone without a trace!" _

A cold wind picked up my cloak and stirred my dress as it passed as I looked up to see a hauntingly beautiful, if not sad, looking woman pulling a comb through her dark red hair.

_"I am the who when you call who's there?_  
_I am the wind blowing through your hair..." _

The wind caught her hair as she closed her eyes and allowed her hair to fly around her face. Suddenly, a shadow passed in front of the moon and leered down on the town.

_"I am the shadow on the moon at night, _  
_Filling your dreams to the brim with FRIGHT!"_ Here the shadow turned into hundreds of bats that flew past me on their way to...only God knew where.

The chorus began again as monsters and ghouls filled the streets around a fountain glowing green. I spied two smaller monsters with a small toy guillotine and a doll and I was afraid that they would cut the doll's head off. Sure enough, I was right.

_"Tender lumplings everywhere, _  
_Life's no fun without a good scare!"_

Two other monsters, a gigantic woman and a scrawny older man, and obviously the parents, stared soppily down at their children. Even in this twisted, messed up world, parents still thought their little monsters (in a literal sense now) were God's gift to humanity.

_"That's our job, but we're not mean,_  
_In our town of Halloween!" _

The square was completely full as I pulled away from the crowd and hid back in the original alley.

_"In this town, don't we love it now,_  
_Everyone's waiting for the next surprise!" _

Now a creature began pulling in a straw horse with a scarecrow riding it and as I watched, the scarecrow came to life and began to dance before grabbing a torch and holding it aloft.

"_Skeleton Jack might catch you in the back, _  
_And scream like a banshee make you jump out of your skin!_  
_This is Halloween, everybody scream!_  
_Won't you please make way for a very special guy? _  
_Our man Jack is king of the pumpkin patch, _  
_Everyone hail to the pumpkin king now..." _

With that last word, the scarecrow with a pumpkin for a head dipped the torch into his mouth and his whole body caught on fire! I gasped and felt my eyes widen as with a leap, he jumped into the green fountain and splashed the whole front audience! As the song stopped for a second, the children ran to the stonework of the fountain and peered in.

_"In this town, we call home,_  
_Everyone hail to the pumpkin song." _

Suddenly, the tallest, skinnest creature I had ever seen in my life rose from the goo and opened his black sockets and my eyes widened because here was, in front of me, a living, breathing skeleton! My eyes widened in shocked as he did a little bow as the monsters below him sang again. When the song was over, each and every creature let out their own unique howl, screech or scream and began to laugh malevolently. The skeleton man grinned as the beautiful woman...who I could see now had scars all over her body and long red hair...walked up to him and smiled lovingly at him. He reached down and pulled her up, wrapping his arms around her slender waist.

"Thank you everyone! That was our best year yet!" He said in a rich voice as I peered out behind the garbage can. Suddenly, a monster looked behind the garbage can and it's bug eyes widened.

"A human!" It garbled as I gasped and tried to jump back, only to find a wall. The bug eyed creature grabbed me as I began to struggle.

"Let me go! I'm not supposed to be here! Let me go you freak!" I snarled as other monsters were drawn to the sound of my voice.

"What is it?"

"A human! Let me see it!"

"Can we eat it?" Another asked as tears prickled my eyes.

"No! Let me go!" I shrieked as my vision blurred and I fell to my knees, my arms pinned uselessly behind my back. This is where I would die. I would die in some terrible soup that monsters cooked me in on Halloween night and I really would die...

A pair of sensible shoes and a pair or skinny legs to match caught my eye as I looked up. I saw through tears that the skeleton man was looking down at me along with the woman who had a pair of sad green eyes that looked rather familiar...

"How do we know she's human?" Another monster asked as I ducked my head again. In the scuffle, my hood had fallen back and my hair was wild and free.

"Like this!" One said before poking me in the gut. I hissed in pain as Jack raised his hand to make them stop.

"That's enough." He said sharply and sternly as he leaned down. I turned my gaze away to keep from looking at him but I felt him grip my chin between thumb and forefinger and pull it towards him, "I apologize for the treatment you just experienced, Miss. I am Jack Skellington and this is my wife, Sally. You are...?"

My brain froze and the only thing that I let out of my mouth was a wail of terror, "Oh please Mr. Skeleton! Don't cook me! I'm all skin and bones...no offense...and I don't taste good! I'm all sinewy and..."

If he had eyebrows, the would be arched as he stood up and motioned for the bug creature to let me go. I jumped up and whipped my head around, my heart beating in my ears, "Relax, nobody's going to eat you."

"That's what you say now!" I snapped, taking a step back and bumping into a fat, gelatenous creature, "But then you jump me in the middle of the night and eat my bones and everything!"

"Calm down! We aren't going to eat you, my dear, really." The woman, Sally I think, said almost tiredly. Now that I could look at her, I could see her eyes were tired and she had dark circles underneath them.

I took a deep breath and tucked a clump of hair behind my ear, "Alright. Fine. I just want to go home though."

Jack looked behind him towards the way I had just come, "Unfortunately, you cannot go the way you came here."

I let out a wail of dispair and nearly fell to the ground, "Are you kidding me?!"

"But there are always ways," Jack said quickly, "If we can get you to the end of the realm, we can get you home safely."

"Or we could just kill her," A monster snickered as I whipped my head around in disbelief.

"KILL ME?!" I shrieked as Sally laid a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Relax, nobody's going to kill you." She said softly, throwing a nasty glance at the monster who had suggested it.

I tried to calm my racing heart with no luck as I looked up at Jack who looked back. I didn't know much about the facial expressions of skeletons but he seemed to almost be concentrating, "Where did you get that cloak?"

"I found it in the woods outside the lake that I fell into," I said simply as he cocked his head slightly.

"So, you got to our world by...falling?" He asked as I nodded slowly, "Falling through a lake?" Again I nodded. He turned around and rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "Where did you come from?"

"Hawk's Landing, Montana." I responded as Sally's eyes widened slightly, "Why?"

"No reason, no reason. Did you happen to know a girl by the name of Arianna?"

I thought about it long and hard but in the end, shrugged my shoulders, "I can't say I do. How do you know her?"

Jack's shoulders sagged as he wrapped an arm around Sally, "Nothing. She was...a daughter of a couple we once knew."

I should have known. The sadness in Sally's eyes and Jack's pondering expression, "She was your daughter, wasn't she?"

Sally gave a wry smile and then looked down, "That's a story for another time." She looked back up, her eyes slightly red, "What did you say your name was again, my dear?"

"I'm Logan Watts." I introduced myself as Jack stuck out his hand. Hesitantly, I took it and after I had dropped his, Sally held out her own.

"It's nice to meet you Logan," Jack said, "Now, let's discuss some ways to get you back to your own world..."

* * *

**I know, she sort of opened up to them really easily but you know, when you realize that someone has lost a child, it's a little easier to feel pity for them. Erm, anyway, reviews are appreciated and I read them all.**


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